Grania was the beautiful daughter of Cormac, King of Ireland. Her father
betrothed her to Finn, an old but still able warrior. All the captains
of the Fianna met at the great hall of Tara for the wedding feast, and
as they sat at the great table, Grania appraised them with questioning
eyes. One caught her fancy, and she asked of her father's Druid his name.
The Druid told her that it was Dermot and that "in all the world he was
the best lover of women." Grania made plans and then, after preparing a
sleeping potion, she served it to all but the captains of the Fianna. When
all had fallen asleep she approached Dermot and told him she wished to
elope with him that night. When she left the room to prepare for the trip,
Dermot appealed to the other captains for help and advice. They all told
him to take Grania as she wished. The next day Finn, in a fury, gathered
his warriors and set out after them. They were easy to trace for at each
stop they made, Dermot left a piece of unbroken bread or an uncooked salmon,
signifying to Finn that he was treating Grania as a sister and not as a
lover. But this was not what Grania had in mind. They were passing through
a piece of wet ground when a splash of water struck Grania; she turned
to Dermot and told him that although he was a brave warrior the water that
had touched her was bolder than he. This was the straw that broke his resolve.
No longer could he leave his subtle messages of unbroken bread or uncooked
salmon. After sixteen years of being on the run, Dermot and Finn finally
met and reconciled. During this time Grania bore to Dermot four sons and
a daughter.